


Quarantine-a-versary

by dancedance_resolution



Series: the AMCU (Andi Mack Cinematic Universe) [2]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Kippen Siblings, M/M, Multi-Fandom Gift Exchange 2020, and it has a playlist of vocal jazz to accompany it!!, kind of an episodic-type fic bc it facilitates the fluff well fjfkhbkxj, tw coronavirus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancedance_resolution/pseuds/dancedance_resolution
Summary: Of course, the first song that came on when he hit Shuffle was Andy William’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” a nostalgic love song that only made him miss TJ even more. Cyrus closed his eyes for a few seconds, giving himself a second to feel and process that pining ache.Call it divine inspiration, call it a coincidence—but just then, an idea struck.---a fluffy tyrus fic with a playlist!! for the multi-fandom gift exchange 2020
Relationships: Cyrus Goodman/T. J. Kippen
Series: the AMCU (Andi Mack Cinematic Universe) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1856911
Comments: 19
Kudos: 44





	Quarantine-a-versary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pianoandcookiedoughlover](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=pianoandcookiedoughlover).



> Hi @pianoandcookiedoughlover, here's your gift! I really hope you like it :) It ended up turning out much different than I had expected, but yeah!
> 
> General note: I know Tyrus's real anniversary is in July, when their ep aired, but for the sake of timelines I moved their anniversary up to late May. Andi’s party was an end-of-the-school-year/graduation event, and many US schools let out in late May. Plus, they were wearing jackets, which is more realistic in May than July (although yes, the jackets were due to filming time reasons and not legitimate plot reasons). So I’m hoping moving the anniversary date is a realistic tweak to canon, just for the sake of this fic :)
> 
> TW: mentions coronavirus
> 
> >>>>>Here's the link for the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1RF6XbeH3q8RbVBqaBz6xv

Cyrus stared glumly at the dinosaur calendar on his wall. Not even the picture of the _melanorosaurus_ , who stood proudly under the large MAY at the top of the page, could cheer him up. He picked up his pen and crossed off yesterday’s date, as he did every morning. While the routine had been a comfort in the early days of lockdown when Cyrus was still adapting to the sudden loss of structure, it had turned into a sad ritual that only served to remind him that May 23rd—the date that had been circled with numerous pink hearts since the very day he bought this calendar—was creeping closer and closer. And with every day that passed, it was looking more and more likely that he and his boyfriend would be spending that date—their one-year anniversary—apart.

Not wanting to dwell on the thought for too long, Cyrus picked up his phone and scrolled through all the notifications he’d received while sleeping. (So what if he still likes to go to bed at 9, just like he would if he were in school?) Cyrus grinned as he opened up the spam of texts TJ sent him last night while he was asleep. Apparently, he’d watched the _Cats_ movie for the first time, and the psychological trauma he endured—at least according to the seventy-eight texts he’d sent Cyrus throughout the movie—was pretty intense.

Cyrus was still reading the dramatic saga as he walked downstairs and began to fix himself some breakfast. He put in some earbuds, still laughing under his breath from the spectacle unfolding in the text messages.

Of course, the first song that came on when he hit _Shuffle_ was Andy William’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” a nostalgic love song that only made him miss TJ even more. Cyrus closed his eyes for a few seconds, giving himself a second to feel and process that pining ache.

Call it divine inspiration, call it a coincidence—but just then, an idea struck.

_\---“Almost Like Being in Love” by Nat King Cole---_

Cyrus sat at his desk and grabbed a piece of paper and purple gel pen. He wrote _Quarantine-a-versay_ in large print at the top margin, and on the first line came the word _Plan_. The following lines detailed his idea for the perfect quarantine-a-versary: _Every time I miss TJ, I’ll pick one song. In a week, I’ll probably have a great playlist for him. I’ll stop myself at five songs for his sake, even though I know I’ll miss him a lot more than just that. I’ll text him the link and an explanation on the 23 rd. _

Next, Cyrus pulled out his to-do list and jotted down _Think of more quarantine-a-versary ideas._

Cyrus jumped when the sudden buzzing of his phone interrupted his pondering. He glanced at the screen and immediately smiled upon seeing TJ’s contact picture on the screen. He accepted the FaceTime call. “Hey Teej!” he said cheerfully. It was remarkable how quickly his mood improved once TJ’s face appeared onscreen. His hair fell loosely, unencumbered by any gel, and his glasses framed his face just perfectly. Cyrus felt his heart swell as he heard TJ’s voice respond, “Morning Cyrus! Oh my gosh, I know I already sent you like a hundred texts, but _we have to talk about this movie._ Okay so…”

Cyrus fondly watched his boyfriend ramble on about _Cats_. No, he wasn’t absorbing or understanding anything TJ was saying, but with the way TJ’s green eyes crinkled as he smiled animatedly, who could blame him?

And in that moment, a wave of longing overcame Cyrus. He missed TJ—hearing his voice, loosing himself in his eyes, intertwining their fingers— _so much_.

He really, really loved him.

Since he couldn’t bear to put TJ on pause and lose out on even a moment of his cuteness, Cyrus opened up his computer and pulled up Spotify. He knew exactly what song he felt.

The second the boys hung up, the triumphant opening sequence of “Almost Like Being in Love” filled Cyrus’s room. He indulged in the lively vocals as the saxes and piano peppily responded to one another; it was like they were calling out to him to remind him of the joy TJ brought to him.

Because that’s what they were—in love. No “almost like” necessary.

_\---“Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys---_

It started out with Amber dying her hair pink at one a.m. and evolved into an afternoon photoshoot in the Kippens’ backyard. Because what’s the point of a good mental breakdown if you don’t get some decent photos for Instagram out of it?

So that’s how TJ ended up outside in the hot sun taking manicured pictures of his sister wearing hippie clothes, trendy Spring attire, and some old dance outfits. The time-consuming costume-changes proved a good opportunity for TJ to FaceTime his boyfriend.

The cuteness was, to put it mildly, overwhelming. The blazing sunlight gave the illusion of lightening TJ’s hair, and he constantly ran his hand through his hair since he was overheated. He did a cartwheel just to show off for Cyrus, and Cyrus’s enormous grin and deafening applause—well, as deafening as one boy over a phone could be—made TJ glow.

Soon, Cyrus overheard Amber walking back outside. “TJ, are you ready?”

“Give me five minutes,” he responded, not wanting to end his conversation with Cyrus, who was even more flirtatious than usual.

Amber ran over, and before TJ could realize what was happening, grabbed her little brother’s phone. “Hey Cyrus,” she said, “I love you, but I need to steal your boyfriend.” She began to speak louder and more dramatically as she continued, “I’m hanging up now!” Cyrus smiled as he heard TJ’s frantic “Bye, Cy! I’ll call you again later!” in the distance before Amber gave him a short wave and hung up.

Cyrus immediately knew what song to add. Ethereal descending chords wove together to create a wall of enrapturing sound in his room. It perfectly encapsulated how he felt when he saw TJ’s sun-kissed and beaming expression, even if it was just over the phone.

\--- _“Let’s Face the Music and Dance” by Tony Bennet---_

There was nothing quite like the magic of an hours-long FaceTime call. The boys accompanied each other—albeit over the phone—all day. They’d make little comments to make the other laugh, or they’d simply fondly watch as the other played basketball or worked on a screenplay idea.

One Wednesday, they tried to push it. Wanting to spend as much time together as possible, TJ kept FaceTime Cyrus in an AirPod (concealing by his lengthening quarantine hair) during family dinner. Everything was going well until Cyrus made an expert dad-joke, so corny it was worthy of an award.

And TJ just couldn’t hold his laughter in.

TJ frantically scrambled to calm himself down and hang up with Cyrus before his mom could figure out what was going on, and in the giggly panic, Cyrus was struck with just how much he missed TJ’s whimsy.

And the fast-paced scene unfolding over FaceTime reminded him of just the song.

_\---“Cheek to Cheek” by Ella Fitzgerald and Lois Armstrong---_

In Cyrus’s defense, he had warned TJ that he would be quite bad at PVP Minecraft duels.

They just might have both underestimated _how_ bad he would be.

TJ had finally convinced Cyrus to join him in a PVP versus his sister. Cyrus had only relented because of Andi’s delighted text _Amber just called me and wants us to play Minecraft together against TJ and another boy???? time to learn how to do more than build in creative mode so i can impress her,,,,,_ (Cyrus just smiled to himself, not wanting to make her thought-spiral about why exactly she wanted to impress Amber.)

Knowing that “another boy”’s role still had to be filled, Cyrus decided to play.

That’s how he ended up losing three sets of diamond armor TJ had given him, four enchanted diamond swords, and various other valuables. “I still don’t understand why we’re fighting!” he squealed as Amber killed his avatar yet again.

“ _We’re_ not fighting,” TJ pointed out as Cyrus respawned.

“Hey!” Cyrus whined, but his humorous tone was evident.

TJ laughed in response, transferring an ax into Cyrus’s inventory. “Maybe this one will work better for you? Just try not to spam click.”

“Bold of you to assume that I have the capacity for any technique other than spam cli—oop, just died again. Thanks, Andi.”

And as the group’s chorusing conversation and laughter filled the FaceTime call, Cyrus thought to himself, _If this were in a rom-com montage, I know exactly what song would be playing._

_\---“Come Dance With Me” by Frank Sinatra---_

_so. i have a confession to make._

_Yeah?_

_i may have. well._

_collaborated with amber in a tik tok dance._

_OH MY GOSH!!! PLEASE SEND NOW._

_no !! it’s so embarrassing,,,, i cAnnoT dance and it’s like ugh_

_Oh my gosh I can’t wait to text the GHC group chat that I’m dating a TikTok boy!_

_heyy :(_

_Send the videoooooooooo_

_Pleaseeeeeeee_

_ugh. fine._

_the things i do for my boyfriend,,,,,_

_HEY. YOU’RE THE ONE WHO FILMED IT. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITHOUT SHOWING IT TO ME, YOU ARE GRAVELY MISTAKEN, T.J. KIPPEN._

_Attachment: 1 Screenrecording_

_Oh. My. GOSH. THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!!!_

_YOU ARE SO CUTEEEEEE!!!_

_:(((((_

_You look like you’re having so much fun in the video!!_

_Okay but also you and Amber’s technique is on FIRE!!!!_

_ahh thank you cy fdjkgjhldshf. still disagree about the fun and the technique but hey, i’ll take it._

_We are totally filming a TikTok together next time we’re at your house and Amber can show us something._

_nooooooooooooo!_

_Oh, the drama! Fame has changed you, Teej._

_mhm. sure._

_Still love you though._

_i love you too, cy_

\--- ---

The big reveal date had finally arrived. Cyrus began the morning with an all caps _HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!_ text. _We can finally start counting our anniversaries in years like normal people, how crazy!_

_lol_ TJ responded. _happy anniversary, cy. i’m really sorry we can’t be together, i miss you so much._

Cyrus grinned as he copy-pasted the address of the playlist and typed out his next message. _Well, I may have something to help the gloominess._

_oh my gosh!! wait cy, this is so cute!! thank you so much!!! i’m going to start listening now,,,,,_

_Ft?_ Cyrus asked. Soon, his phone started buzzing. “TJ!” he exclaimed.

“Hi! Oh my gosh, Cyrus, I… Just, thank you so much! This makes me so happy, I literally can’t even think straight…”

As Cyrus watched his boyfriend gleefully continue listening to the playlist, he felt the urge to add one more song to the playlist. And he knew just when the addition should debut.

_\---“I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)” by Nat King Cole---_

Some time passed before TJ and Cyrus finally reunited again. When Cyrus heard the doorbell ring, a gleeful squeal escaped his throat as he ran to open to the door.

“Cyrus,” TJ breathed out, unable to find any words. He stepped inside and pressed a kiss against Cyrus’s lips. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too. So much,” Cyrus said, captivated by TJ’s eyes. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“Me too,” TJ said softly.

The clattering of dishes in the kitchen brought the boys back to reality. “So,” Cyrus said, still a bit flustered because _TJ was finally here with him._

Realizing that his boyfriend was having trouble finding his words, TJ chimed in, “Do you want to take me to the dining room?” (Cyrus had shared a Google Doc with him a month ago where they’d been giddily planning their first post-lockdown date, so he had the night’s plan basically memorized.)

“Um, yes,” Cyrus said before giving TJ a short kiss. “Sorry that my, like, word capacity right now is only at keysmash level. I just can’t believe we’re finally together again.”

“I don’t think either of us has stopped smiling this entire time yet, huh?”

“No,” Cyrus answered, giggling. “But c’mon to the dining room with me. As you already know—gosh, why did I share that Google Doc with you—I made spaghetti and it’s getting cold. Plus, I need to start the playlist.”  
  


Cyrus grabbed TJ’s hand as he pulled him into the dining. “May I present,” he said mock-dramatically, “a romantic dinner!” A single red candle sat in the middle of the table, and two places were set with full plates of spaghetti. “The best part? The pile of mail that usually occupies that chair has been temporarily moved to the kitchen!” Cyrus joked.

TJ didn’t think it was possible that his smile could grow any bigger. “Thank you, Cy. This is so nice.”

“Wait, wait, it’s not done yet!” Cyrus walked over the where his phone was resting and pressed play. A song began drifting out of a small Bluetooth speaker next to it.

“What’s this song?” TJ asked after the first piano riff. “I don’t recognize it from the playlist.”

Cyrus gave TJ a satisfied grin as he pulled out a chair; TJ responded with a confused but elated “Thanks” as he sat down. 

The familiar velvety voice of Nat King Cole danced out of the speaker, and TJ’s gaze fell on Cyrus’s as the song progressed.

And as the song came to a close, TJ knew there was only one thing left to say. “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> And @pianoandcookiedoughlover, thanks for being such a great partner for this gift exchange! I had a lot of fun getting to know you over anon :))))


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